American Campus Communities Tables Columbia Development

COLUMBIA - American Campus Communities (ACC) announced it will not move forward with development until water and electric infrastructure is adequate.

ACC was planning to build housing between Turner and Conley Avenue on MU's campus. The developers decided to wait a year to continue construction because the city does not have the available infrastructure to accommodate that type of development now.

Chair of the Downtown Columbia Leadership Council, Brent Gardner said the reason ACC's development was tabled was because the electric capacity it needed was more than downtown could handle.

MU student Geof Kennedy said he is not happy about the decision to wait a year to build the new development. He said his best friends lived where the new building would be developed. He said they were asked to move because the ACC project was coming in.

"All of the sudden they got kicked out and it's disappointing to know that they got kicked out for essentially no reason since the development isn't starting for another year," Kennedy said.

Gardner has been working closely with the Columbia City Council to advise them on what should be done about the inadequate infrastructure.

Gardner said there is a difference in the way that ACC and other development groups are handling the infrastructure situation.

"ACC is looking to put it off for a year to let the process play out properly where I'm watching Opus be pushy," Gardner said.

Gardner has been in communication with vice president of development for ACC, Chuck Carroll.

Garnder said Carroll wants ACC to be a presence in Columbia for years to come so ACC did not want to be pushy with the city.

ACC is requesting to table the project for one year and then re-evaluate the infrastructure situation.